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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — certain
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fall — the season
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com